Costing Options

You can define or override system-level costing options in the Costing Options dialog box.

You can select sheet metal costing options to:
  • Estimate the cost of sheet metal parts from a machining template.
  • Apply fixed custom costs to sheet metal features, such as bends, hems, or library features.
You can select machining costing options to:
  • Recognize removed material as volume features.
  • Assign a default machining operation to volume features, or calculate the cost of volume features by assigning a per volume cost to the removed material.
  • Assign the default surface finishing operation for milling and turning.
  • Override template settings for offset-based finishing. You can enter a value for the offset from the machined surface for finishing and semifinishing operations.

Costing Options Dialog Box

To open the Costing Options dialog box:

  1. In the Costing Task Pane, click Costing Options CostingOptions_up.png (upper left corner).

Costing Options - Defaults

You can streamline the costing process by using the costing default values to prepopulate the Costing Task Pane.

To access the costing defaults, in the Costing Options dialog box, click the Defaults tab.

Manufacturing Method

Body Type Manufacturing Methods
General body Anything that is not sheet metal or a structural member. Select manufacturing method:
  • Machining
  • Plastics
  • Casting
  • 3D Printing
Sheet metal Select manufacturing method:
  • SheetMetal
  • Machined Plate
Structural member Select one of the following manufacturing methods:
  • Structural Member
  • Machining
  • Plastics
  • Casting
  • 3D Printing

Template

Body Type Manufacturing Methods
General body Anything that is not sheet metal or a structural member. Select a default template for machined, plastic, cast, 3D printed, or weldment parts.
Sheet metal Select a default template for sheet metal parts.
Multibody Select a default template for multibody parts.
Assembly Select a default template for assemblies.

Material

Select class and material as needed.

Stock Type

Body Type Manufacturing Methods
Machining stock body Select one of the following types:
  • Block
  • Cylinder
  • Plate
Sheet metal blank size Select one of the following types:
  • Bounding Box
  • Flat Pattern
Structural member stock type Select one of the following types:
  • Per Length
  • Per Stock Length

Quantity

Body Type Manufacturing Methods
Single body Enter a quantity for Total number of parts and Lot size.
Multi body Enter a quantity for Total number of parts and Lot size.
Assembly Enter a quantity for Total number of assemblies and Lot size.

Costing Options - Template Overrides

Use the costing template overrides to define or override system-level costing options.

To access the costing template overrides:

  1. In the Costing Options dialog box, click the Template Overrides tab.

Removed material processing

Use standard manufacturing process recognition Defines the stock material that is removed as specific machining operations.
Use customizable volume feature recognition Defines the stock material that is removed as volume features. You can apply volume feature options to customize the removed material cost estimates.

Defines the stock material that is removed as specific machining operations.

Defines the stock material that is removed as volume features. You can apply volume feature options to customize the removed material cost estimates.

Feature processing

Use custom defined cost Lets you specify custom costs for bends, hems, or library features.
Recognize as volume features Select one of the following:

Pocket Features

Treats pocket features as volume features for cost estimation.

Slot Features

Treats slot features as volume features for cost estimation.

Select Show slots with undetermined volume in NCA folder to move slots whose volume could not be calculated to the No Cost Assigned folder.
Volume feature calculation Select one of the following:

Default machining operation

Assigns the selected machining operation to estimate the cost of removing the volumes of material from the stock body.

You can select from the following operations:
  • Flat End Mill
  • Ball End Mill
  • Face Mill
  • HSS Drill
  • Carbide drill
  • OD Turning
  • ID Turning

Cost per volume removed

Lets you assign a fixed cost per unit volume of removed material, rather than calculate the cost based on tool sizes and removal rates. You can specify custom costs for roughing, semifinishing, and finishing.

Finish processing

Default finishing operation type Specifies the default finishing operation type:

Roughing

Semi-finishing

Finishing

Override template settings for offset-based finishing Calculates the per-unit-volume cost of semifinishing and finishing, based on an offset distance value rather than on template data. The offset distance value is the operation offset distance from the machined surface.

Other options

Save as Costing override settings Sets your selections as default Costing options for every machining and sheet metal part you estimate.
This option is applied only to parts whose cost you have not already estimated.